Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for the grand final on May 17.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that further concessions from Ukraine during negotiations would be unreasonable if Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will travel to Istanbul for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on May 13, citing three undisclosed sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
Turkish bulk carrier TQ SAMSUN, loaded with Ukrainian agricultural products as part of the Grain Initiative, leaves the Port of Odesa, southern Ukraine, on July 16, 2023. (Yulii Zozulia / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
A total of 6.3 million metric tons of goods were exported through ports in and around the city of Odesa in January 2024, which was "almost equal" to levels seen before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov reported on Feb. 3.
Over 20 million metric tons of cargo has been exported from these ports via Ukraine's temporary Black Sea corridor in the last six months, Kubrakov said.
The shipping route was opened in August 2023, weeks after Russia's unilateral termination of the Black Sea grain deal threatened Ukraine's ability to ship out its grain.
According to Kubrakov, 661 vessels have exported the cargo to 32 countries around the world. Of the 20 million metric tons, 14.3 million metric tons are agricultural products produced by Ukrainian farmers.
Another 104 vessels are set to arrive in the ports, which will ship out more than 3 million tons of cargo, Kubrakov said.
The corridor was originally opened to allow the exit of vessels that had been docked at Ukraine's Black Sea ports since February 2022.
Since then, it has become a route for exporting Ukrainian goods such as grain and metal. Ukraine is a major agricultural producer, and its supplies play a major role in feeding countries across the world, namely in the Global South.
Despite successful Ukrainian strikes against Russian naval capabilities, Black Sea shipping continues to face risks wrought by the all-out war, namely floating mines.
Elsa Court
